Molding machine having an



April 24, 1962 w TACCONE 3,030,676

MOLDING MACHINE HAVING AN IMPROVEDHEAD Filed Oct. 8, 1959 INVENTOR. nusszu. w. TACCONE ATTORNEY United Sates Patent.

3,030,67 6 MOLDING MAC HAVING AN IMPROVED HEAD Russell W. Taccone, Erie, Pa., assignor to Taccone Pneumatic Foundry Equipment Corporation, North East,

Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 845,133 6 Claims. (Cl. 22-42) This invention relates to green sand molding machines and, more particularly, to machines of the diaphragm ['his application is a continuation in part of patent application, Serial No. 501,947, filed April 18, 1955, which issued as Patent No. 2,951,270 on September 6, 1960.

In previous machines of this type, the sand was heaped up in the flask and then rolled into position under the head prior to compressing. Before being put under the compressing machine, the flask was usually struck off to level the sand flush with the top of the flask. Thus, in order to have enough sand to make a satisfactory mold, the flask had to be relatively deep since the sand, when compressed, had to be sufliciently thick to properly support itself over the pattern. Therefore, the flask had to be deeper than the packed sand.

The machine disclosed herein makes it unnecessary to strike off the sand before placing the flask under the head. The sand is heaped up in the flask and the heaped up sand is compressed to substantially level relation with the top of the flask, thus resulting in a packed mold with the flask level full.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a sand molding machine of an improved design which operates more efliciently than previous machines.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved compression type sand molding machine which will make more uniform molds and result in flasks more completely filled with sand than prior machines.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a means of striking off the excess sand in a molding machine after the mold has been completed, thereby providing a smooth, flat upper surface of the sand.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sand molding machine which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and eflicient in operation.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit thereof or from the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a molding machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1 and showing the flask in position in the closure under the head; and

FIG. 3 is a view of another embodiment of the inven tion showing an improved strike off and closure.

Now with more specific reference to the drawing, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a sand molding machine having a flask 11. The flask 11 is supported on wheels 12 which carry the flask 11 into a closure 13 by means of a track 14. The flask 11 has a frame 15 which is supported by axles 16. Mounted on the inner side of the frame 15 on the axles 16 are the wheels 12. Located at the rear 17 of the flask 11 is a gate 18 fastened on the upper portion of a gate support 19 and extending upwardly above the level of the flask 11 to provide a closure for the enclosure 13.

A pattern plate 20 is fixed on a base plate 21 and the base plate 21 is attached to the top of the frame 15 by bolts 22. Positioned on top of the pattern plate 20 is a flask 23 which will contain sand 24.

When the flask 11 is loaded with sand, it is conveyed along the track 14 which is carried by base supports 25 evenly spaced along the bottom section of the track 14. The car with the flask 11 thereon enters the closure 13 through an open end 37. The closure 13 has three sides and open end 37. The open end 37 is sealed by the gate 18 when the car with the flask 11 is in its molding position inside of the closure 13.

The closure 13 is supported on all four corners by legs 26 which are welded to the base supports 25 and extend upwardly to the closure 13 and are attached thereto. Bolted on the top of the closure 13 is an open bottomed box shaped pressure head 27. A resilient diaphragm 28 overlies the open bottom of the head 27. The outer edges of the diaphragm 28 are clamped to the marginal edges of the head 27 by bolts 29. The bolts 29 pass through the flange 30 on the head 27 through the outer edge of the diaphragm 28 and they may be threaded into a metal ring seal 31.

When the car with the flask 11 thereon as shown in FIG. 1 is loaded with sand and rolled into the closure 13, the gate 18 closes the open end and the heaped sand 24 is confined in the closure 13. Air pressure may then be introduced through an air pipe 32 and into a cavity 33 in the head 27 above the diaphragm 28, causing the diaphragm 28 to be compressed downwardly onto the loosely heaped sand 24 in the flask 23. This action causes the sand 24 to be compressed about the pattern plate 20, forming a uniform mold. The pressure on the diaphragm 28 is then removed by a vacuum on the pipe 32 and the car with the flask 11 is rolled out of the closure 13 and to the pouring station. The flask, after compressing, will thus be substantially full of sand.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3, a car with a flask 111 thereon is shown mounted on wheels 112 resting on a track 114. The operation of the machine shown in FIG. 3 is much the same as the embodiment shown in FIG. 1; however, the flask 111 does not have a gate mounted on a rear side 117 of the flask 111.

In this embodiment, a gate 118 is attached to a piston 134 by a piston rod 135. In operation, the gate 118 is held in an open position as the car having the flask 111 is loaded with sand 124 and rolled into place in a closure 113. The gate 118 is then closed and pressure applied to the diaphragm. The flask 111 with the completed sand mold therein is then withdrawn. By leaving the gate 118 in the closed position, it acts as a strike otf of the sur plus sand.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or priviliege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A molding machine comprising a head, an open bottom closure having one open side and three closed sides extending downwardly from said head, a flask support, said flask support having a pattern plate supported thereon, said flask, pattern plate, and flask support means supported on a means providing horizontal movement of said flask, pattern plate, and flask support means under said closure and through said open side for moving 3 said flask support with a flask thereon having sand heaped up in said flask under said head through said open side of said closure under said closure, means to close said open side, and means in said head to compress said sand,.

said compressing means comprising a flexible member with fluid supported thereby, said fluid being adapted to exert a pressure on said flexible member to engage said sand.

2. A molding machine comprising a head, a flask support,,said head being supported in spaced relation to said flask support, means to support a pattern plate on said flask support and to move said pattern plate under said head and away from said head, said pattern plate support means being adapted to support a flask with the top edge of said flask spaced below said head, a closure having an open bottom and one open side, said closure being adapted to receive the upper portion of said flask, said flask, pattern plate, and flask support means being supported on a means providing horizontal movement of said flask, pattern plate, and flask support means under said closure and through said open side, means to close said open side of said closure when said flask is disposed therein, and means supported in said head to compress sand in said flask.

3. A molding machine comprising a head, a track disposed in spaced relation below said head, a car supported on said track, a pattern plate supported on said car and adapted to support a flask thereon with the top of said flask being disposed at a spaced position below said head, a closure on said head extending downwardly therefrom and having three closed sides adapted to extend downwardly below the top level of said flask and an open side, said flask being adapted to support sand in tern plate, and flask support means being supported on a means providing horizontal movement of said flask, pattern plate, and flask support means under said closure and through said open side, means on said machine to close said open side of said closure when said flask is therein, and means on said head comprising a flexible member having fluid supported thereon to compress said sand in said flask.

4. The machine recited in claim 3 wherein said means to close said open side comprises a gate, and a hydraulic cylinder attached to said gate to move said gate into closing relation with the open side of said closure.

5. The machine recited in claim 3 wherein said closure is supported on said car and moved therewith.

6. The machine recited in claim 5 wherein said flexible member comprises a flexible diaphragm supported on said head and attached around the peripheral sides thereof, and fluid means behind said diaphragm adapted to compress said diaphragm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 951,830 Morrison Mar. 15, 1910 2,477,266 Phillips July 26, 1949 2,542,243 Gedris Feb. 20, 1951 2,847,735 Butler Aug. 19, 1958 2,869,189 Pirsig Jan. 20, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 460,014 France Sept. 23, 1913 

